Delusions
by ideomania
Summary: Another 2.10 fic, this time set during. I laugh every time I watch the trailer with Arthur muttering that his 'job is to woo,' - that is SO Arthur. Little Arwen, little sarcasm, little angsty, little OOC - little bit of everything.
1. Chapter 1

I know I'm just throwing up random stuff right now but I had this written a few days ago and I want it up before I watch the episode and realize how wrong I am.

So this is a short fic, not entirely happy with it but I feel I have to get rid of it before I start obsessing.

I don't own Merlin or the Simpsons (just throwing something else random out there, it means nothing. Don't question it.)

**Set:** During 2.10, After seeing Arthur (again) scaling walls (seriously, this is like the third time this series) I wondered what would happen if Gwen was there to discover him. She has to attend to Vivienne after all, so it kind of fits. Also I have NO IDEA on the correct spelling so I'm sorry if it's wrong.

* * *

There's a funny sound at the window that draws Gwen's attention, she peers through the colored glass and falters as a face pops into view. She's close to crying out in alarm when she recognizes who it is and bites it back. Her fingers clumsily work the window open and she stares at Arthur in amazement.

_What on Earth?_

He mumbles something as he clings to the wall. Gwen reaches out a hand to tug the rose from his mouth with a frown. "Help me in," he orders, his sweaty brow furrowed in determination. She considers closing the window, because she's pretty sure one of them is delusional.

Her heart's threatening to leave her chest as she stares at him, "Arthur, what are you _doing_?" she whispers, very conscious of the lady Vivienne sleeping behind her. Her fingers tighten on the window ledge, "Where's Merlin?" she asks anxiously looking at the ground below, not knowing _who_ needs him more at this particular moment. Arthur heaves an arm through the window to the ledge and pulls himself up higher. She can feel the blood leaving her face as he teeters dangerously backwards, the rose drops from her fingers and she reaches for him. God help her.

She braces her feet against the wall, her hands holding his wrists as if her life depends on it…and maybe it does, she wonders what the sentence for letting the prince fall to his death would be…probably not worth it. She holds back a hysterical giggle as Vivienne sighs in her sleep, tugging hard at Arthur as he struggles to climb into the room. She resolves to save him first and kill him later. Gwen's leaning back almost completely horizontal, using her body weight as a ballast and gives a final yank at his wrists, his fingers digging painfully into her arms and finally it's enough and he plunges through the window, dragging her down too.

She stifles a groan and struggles out from under him. He's mumbling something that incredibly sounds like "My job is to woo," she fights the impulse to slap him. Maybe he's sleepwalking, that would be a _plausible_ reason for this madness. Yes, that must be it. Now she just has to get him back to his quarters without anybody seeing him. Without waking the lady Vivienne. Without the guards outside the room discovering that there's a late night visitor. Without any wars starting.

But he's already climbing to his feet, shaking his head as if to clear it and gazing intently at the sleeping lady in her bed. Oh, for goodness sake! She scrambles to her feet and watches as he bends down, hands smoothing frantically underneath the window. "The rose, I must find it," he insists softly to himself. Gwen deflates slowly, annoyance becoming something else…this isn't fair. She looks around anxiously, hoping something will come to her, some action to take. Her bottom lip trembles and she bites it fiercely.

There is nothing she can do to persuade him to hide while she distracts the guards or to leave out the way he came – nothing will stop him getting to his ladylove…_his words_. So she watches distressed as he softly rouses the sleeping lady, his fingers gently stroking her cheek as he kneels at her side. It hurts and she isn't in the mood to consider why. She feels as if she's intruding on a private moment as the lady stirs and her eyes open, gazing at the prince in gentle surprise, a soft smile teasing at her lips. Like she had been expecting such an act. Gwen turns away when he offers her the rose, needing to concentrate all her attention on breathing…because she's suddenly struggling to remember how.

She gathers her composure at the windowsill, the furthest place in the chamber from the two lovers as they whisper hurriedly their feelings and clutch each other's hands. An abrupt silence falls upon the chamber, startling her into glancing back and she catches them in a passionate embrace, Arthur now kneeling on the bed, his arms cradling Vivienne to his chest as he kisses her. It paralyses her for a terrible moment and she realises that _this_…

Gwen's moving towards the door before she can fully comprehend any it, there's no reason for her to stay and no one to call her back. She's almost there when it bursts open; it's the guards from the hallway.

And behind them…

Vivienne's father.

Merlin.

And _best_ of all, the King.

Detachedly she wonders how they all came to arrive together. Voices are raised and she leaves, drifting down the corridor not exactly sure where her footsteps take her – except that it means away.

Away from this mess.

* * *

A frantic knocking wakes her from her daze and she starts, frowning as she realizes that she's been staring into space for some time now. She's sitting at her table, but she doesn't remember how she came to be there. When she opens her door Merlin slips in, anxious and speaking quickly – she can't keep up.

He's explaining it for the third time when the words start to make sense – enchanted, drugged, illusion, magic, help, war. She's on her feet instantly, asking Merlin to leave. Go to someone else…she doesn't feel anything, can't he see that? Merlin tells her there's no one else.

Her heart's pounding in her ears.

"If I do this…" she takes a breath, "I can't take it back, Merlin."

* * *

_Oh no!_ Gwen's realized that she might, slightly be in love with Arthur! The angst! Yeah, I kind of suck at Angst.

I'm sorry...but some of it was alright, right? No? Maybe? Yes? Sort of? Put me out of my misery?


	2. No Delusions

Thought I may as well TRY and write something about the end of 2.10, since **Infinite101** was so nice and reviewed. It's not exactly what you asked for, I really don't even WANT to think about what was going through Arthur's head - I imagine he'd be struggling to understand where she's coming from as well as not knowing what he can say to make it right - for them, for her, for himself. Angsty Angsty Angsty ...and I don't think I could handle it.

It's sort of fragmented and looks a little weird but pretty much it's Gwen POV looking back on that last conversation. She's sort of replaying it in her mind.

* * *

_I've never loved another._

_One day you will._

She doesn't watch him go.

Not this time.

She promises herself that it _is_ the last time.

_I cannot be your Queen._

_You don't know that._

Words. They're all just words.

It gets harder to remember but it hurts the same.

It _gets_ harder to ignore because it will not go away.

It's beating, pulsing, growing.

She draws strength from it.

Feeds it with errant thoughts of impossible futures.

She's so sick of impossible.

She's had her fill of this world's limitations.

_I am as sure of that as you are._

A lie. Conviction absent behind the words.

She plays her part, knowing neither of them can afford to have any duty to each other.

Knowing that one of them has to say it.

Speak the words he doesn't say.

_Things may change._

Her head doesn't belong in the clouds.

_Well, until they do._

It's not a fairy tale.

But this is an ending.

_My Lord._

She doesn't shatter.

All her words have been spoken and words do not change stubborn minds.

She understands that this is how it must be.

_For now_, she whispers to no one, because whatever it is that beats inside of her will not allow it to be the end.

* * *

There was a lot to like about this ep and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of Arwen and CONVERSATIONS and Gwen even let herself be carried away by her feelings (I hated that she got hurt tho - Merlin did you even consider taking responsibility for the mix up? Did YOU?) and I LOVED Merlin and Arthur trying to work out how Arthur could express his feelings, so clueless and adorable.

I was a tiney tiny bit proud when Arthur was kneeling at Vivian's bedside - JUST like in the first chapter..haha! Something true to canon (at last). But why OH why was Morgana SO clueless about what was going on with Gwen? I'm going to have to subscribe to the drunk theory floating around, coz come on! What was that? And she doesn't care that Arthur's off to fight to the death? (which okay he does every other week, but this time it could have lead to WAR)


End file.
